


It's nice to have a friend

by RoseRye



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23163010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseRye/pseuds/RoseRye
Summary: She keeps her head down, not wanting any more trouble today. Eyes firmly on the floor, she sees a pair of slightly battered, but name brand, double knotted trainers fall into step next to hers.
Kudos: 5





	It's nice to have a friend

**Author's Note:**

> Full disclaimer, I am not Suzanne Collins and I definitely don't own the Hunger Games, I'm also not Taylor Swift but apparently do get very inspired by her songwriting. I got a bit obsessed with the beautiful, quiet little song she put second to last on her album Lover and this is the result. It's as different in tone from my first fanfic Gorgeous as the two songs which I based them them on are. All mistakes my own and in particular any high school related errors as I'm not American.

The school bell rings and Katniss' heart sinks. The argument she had with her mom this morning meant Prim left the house first and saw the hateful words chalked on the sidewalk. Slurs against their dead father and them having no right to live here, attacking them because they bring down this 'nice' area by being poor and 'other'. Katniss wiped as much as possible away this morning, before it made her too late for school, but dreads the punch to her gut seeing the remnants will bring and the scrubbing they will take to fully remove.

She grabs her bag, keen to erase the rest before Prim gets home. As she leaves the middle school gates, she can see Cato and his gang watching her. She keeps her head down, not wanting any more trouble today. Eyes firmly on the floor, she sees a pair of slightly battered, but name brand, double knotted trainers fall into step next to hers.

Warily she lifts her gaze to the shoes owner and finds the startling blue of Peeta Mellark's eyes looking back for a moment before he takes an interest in the sidewalk too. They shuffle along together and Katniss wonders why he's walking with her.

It starts to snow. She reaches into her bag for her gloves, rooting around until she remembers where they are, with Prim, after she lost one of hers. Tears prick unexpectedly at the back of her eyes.

Peeta has his gloves in his hand but hasn't put them on. He puts the right one on and hands her the left. She holds it limp in her hand unsure whether to reject the gesture. Her hands feel numb. She knows he's waiting to see what she does. 

She puts the glove on. 

He takes her cold ungloved hand in his, palm to palm. His hand is so warm that the loss she'd feel if he let go would be too much, so she allows it.

They walk in silence, holding hands, all the way to Katniss' house. 

When they get there, the snow has covered the malicious marks, leaving a clean blank space.

Prim shouts from behind and Katniss wonders how long she has been following them. Prim asks Peeta if he wants to hang out, she tells him they have video games. Peeta smiles and says it sounds like fun. Katniss wonders if he'll find it as fun when he realises all they have an ancient Nintendo they inherited from the Hawthorne family. 

The next day at school he passes her a note, to thank her for the walk and for inviting him in. He asks if he can walk her home again after school.

Their friendship begins.

By the spring, when the weather is warm enough, they lie to their parents and head into the woods with a tent. They watch the orange sunset above the dark green trees. Spending time together becomes a respite for both of them from their difficult homelives and Katniss begins to feel less alone.

It's nice to have a friend.

Katniss watches Peeta enjoying the light pink sunset, as they sit up on the roof of her porch. He's waiting for the orange that will follow. After several years of friendship she knows Peeta inside out. 

Prim is having a sleepover and her mom's on nights at the hospital so there's no curfew for her tonight. She doesn't care what story Peeta has invented for his family to allow him be here. 

The sun sinks further.

Peeta turns towards her and asks if she wants to play 20 questions. Katniss frowns slightly at the odd request but Peeta sticks his bottom lip out at her, which unnerves her a bit, as she dislikes anything that reminds her how attractive she's starting to find him, so she agrees.

"First question," he grins.  
"Fine, an I am animal?"  
"Nope."  
"A vegetable then?"  
"Yes, you are definitely vegetation."  
"Vegitation, so I'm not fruit or something?"  
"No. Question four."  
"Three, the fruit thing was a statement."  
"It was a question, that I answered, question 4."  
Katniss rolls her eyes and asks "Am I a type of flower?"  
"No, but flowers are involved"  
"A bunch of flowers?"  
"Yes, but you need to be more specific"  
"A nice bunch of flowers?"  
"No, come on Katniss"

She is puzzled, the only occasion she associates flowers with is her dad's funeral but Peeta wouldn't be that cruel.

He notices the change.

"What are you thinking?"  
"You have flowers at funerals."  
"Oh, Katniss, I'm sorry." Peeta scrubs his hands through his hair.  
"I was trying to ask you to senior prom. The answer was corsage, but I didn't think....it's been such as stressful year, trying to live up to my mother's expectations. I know it's been hard for you too. I thought this would be something nice for us, together."  
"Before you leave me?" 

She hadn't meant to add the me, but it was how she felt. Like she was being abandoned.

She clambers back through the window and runs for the bedroom door. She can't be near him anymore, can't face the reality of her lonely future in this small town without him. She is pulled back by his hand grabbing hers.

It's nice to have a friend.

The church bell rings out its congratulations to Prim and her new husband. Katniss thinks how good it's been to spend time with her sister and how pleased she is they followed tradition and came back to Prim's home town to marry. 

The rice on the ground looks like snow and Katniss can't resist kicking through it. As she watches it swirl, a slightly battered, but well polished, pair of name brand dress shoes join hers. She looks up and feels the usual jolt in her gut that she gets everytime she looks in to the sky blue eyes of her best friend.

By the end of the night Katniss is limping after being dragged up to dance several times by both Prim and Peeta. She's not great in heels and takes them off to rub her aching feet, dreading having to put them back on to hobble the short distance home. Peeta comes over and crouches down weirdly with his back to her. 

"What are you doing?" She laughs.  
"Giving you a ride," he grins, indicating she should get on for a piggy back.

Peeta stayed to work at the family bakery instead of going to college, despite the cold hearted disapproval of his mother. Only the prospect of town gossip stopped her from throwing him out. He moved out on the very first day he could finally afford it. Katniss stayed with her mom for a while, both of them putting everything they had into supporting Prim.

"Oof" Katniss grunts as Peeta boosts her onto his back, "watch it, I'm not a sack of flour."  
"Jeez, I know," jokes Peeta, pretending to stagger under her weight.  
"Hey," she grouches, hitting him with her purse but then reaching foward to wrap her arms around his neck. "Got your back," she quips.  
"Everyday," he smiles.

He jogs a little down the street and because it's been such a wonderful day and she's had a little to drink, a giggle escapes her, sounding joy out into the night.

Peeta sets her down and turns to catch her laughter with his lips.

"Remember our first dance as husband and wife?" he asks.  
"How could I forget"  
"Dance with me now?" 

Peeta starts humming but it's badly out of tune, so when he tries to take her hands, she folds her arms and shakes her head.

"Babe, I love you but I can't dance to that tuneless noise."

Peeta sticks his bottom lip out, which he knows she can't resist, so Katniss rolls her eyes steps forward, wraps her arms round his neck and begins to hum their song. Peeta pulls his arms tight around her waist and rests his forehead on hers. They spin in slow circles. 

It starts to feel too cold to slow dance in the street, so they carry on walking, Katniss limping a bit until Peeta picks her up again, bride style this time and carries her the remaining distance to their home.

They decide to stay in bed together the rest of the weekend.

It's nice to have a friend.

**Author's Note:**

> I can write fanfic that isn't Taylor Swift inspired and have something on the go I'm hoping to post soon. It's good to have a creative outlet in these challenging times, I'm very grateful for access to this site and all the amazing writers and stories on here.


End file.
